Thursday, January 05, 2012

Welcome to International Year of Cooperatives!

 

 

 

Wheatsville Logo

Hello Wheatsville friends and fans!

In recognition of the hope that cooperatives give to the world, 2012 has been designated as the International Year of the Co-op by the United Nations! It is a historic move that will globally promote awareness and membership in cooperatives.  As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, "Co-operatives are a reminder to the international community that it is possible to pursue both economic viability and social responsibility."

In this new year, the International Year of Cooperatives, what can you do to purposefully forward the co-op movement? How can you work towards a society and an economy that resonates with your own personal values? How can you create change?

Join and Support More Co-ops From childcare to brew pubs, there are lots of choices! Check the Austin Co-op Directory for listings.

Buy Products Created by Co-ops Look for Co-op Made tags throughout the store!

Tell Your Friends If you love your co-op, tell your friends why and encourage them to join!

Build Your Own Business Using the Co-op Model Third Coast Workers for Cooperation is just one of many resources available to help you get started!

Join the Austin Co-op Think Tank (ACTT) A new and exciting group in Austin formed to help forward the co-op movement. Join them on Facebook!

Be Stronger, Together Patronize other Wheatsville owner's business. We maintain an updated Owner Business Directory online and will be happy to list your business if you are an owner of Wheatsville Food Co-op.

Join in from the comfort of your own home on January 21st at 7pm for the virtual premier of Lights, Camera, Co-ops. Host and celebrity chef, Kevin Gillespie, will take us on a coast to coast tour as he explores the effect co-ops have on our communities. The first three episodes will air on January 21st and the rest will follow in the coming months.

 

Scroll on down for:

This week's One Big Thing

·         Fruits & Veggies

·         Tasty 2012

·         Cheese Tidbits

·         Local Brangus

·         Gold Label

·         Save Money

·         Beer & Wine

·         New at Wheatsville

·         Co+op Deals

·         Owner Deals

·         Patronage Rebates

·         People's Community Clinic

WHEATSVILLE'S ONE BIG THING

Every week, Wheatsville staff picks the product we're most excited about right now!

This weeks 'One Big Thing' is Cara Cara Navel Oranges

Why do we love them?

1. It's citrus season and they are a delectable addition our line up!

2. They're a great source of vitamin C to replenish you from your eventful holiday season!

3. They have a unique, tangy flavor profile to titillate your taste buds!

 

Eat Your Fruits & Veggies

If you've made New Year's resolutions to exercise more and eat better, you're not alone.  Most of us at least make a half-hearted attempt to prepare more meals for ourselves, maybe bringing lunch with us to work instead of eating out.  I discovered this great salad-in-a-jar idea from Life Hacker that'll help on that last point.  Basically, you take a canning jar, put your dressing at the bottom, layer hardier ingredients like nuts, quinoa, carrots, etc on top of that, and topping it off with the greens.  The idea is the dressing and greens are kept separate and permit storage for several days.  Grab one on your way out the door and just shake it up when you're ready to eat it.  Try it out!  We like Austin Organics' Salad Trio and Crazy Greens Salads, grown right here in Austin just for Wheatsville, but you can roll-your-own too.  A salad can be made an entrée by adding protein, berries, sprouts, nuts, or grains.  Make up a batch of salads on Sunday night and you're set for the work week!  Here's to keeping that resolution this time.

It's citrus season!  Citrus is a godsend to us in the wintertime.  Trees lose their leaves, days shorten, nights get cold, and we have these great little chunks of sunshine to help us get through the day.  Besides getting a good dose of Vitamin C which is essential in fighting off the common cold, citrus is delicious and beautiful.  You can buy an orange most any day of the year but if you are like me and you prefer to eat fruit at the peak of its freshness and taste, try some citrus now.  On January 14th and 15th, we're having a Citrus Celebration at Wheatsville.  We'll have samples of most every variety of citrus we carry, so come by and rediscover an old favorite, or make a new one!

Our favorite variety of citrus this week is the Minneola Tangelo. Minneolas were developed in 1931 and are a cross between a Duncan grapefruit and a Dancy tangerine.  The skins are relatively thin and easy to peel and the flesh is very juicy and tasty.  Good for juicing or eating out of hand, they've got a stronger flavor than a Satsuma but are not overpowering.

 

Tasty 2012!

Welcome to a New Year full of Tasty & Healthy Treats from your Deli!!

We hope you enjoyed a deliciously relaxing holiday with family and friends! Resolved to eat well and get fit in 2012?! Our make-your-own salad bar is the place to do it! With a variety of greens and fixins like chopped veggies, seeds and all sorts of nibbles for just $7.99/lb, you can mix-n-match your salads to keep it fresh every day, and make that resolution last! Also, we have healthy veggie dishes like Lively Beets and Carrots, Lemon-Miso Kale and Greens with White Beans to keep mealtime a pleasure!

Click here to read about all of our Deli deals & specials!

 

Cheese Tidbits

Texas Daily Harvest Cheese Curds are back! These are great eaten straight out of the bag, or used as an ingredient in one of your favorite cheesy dishes.

Citrus season is in full swing and Wheatsville will be celebrating with lots of samples on January 14th & 15th. Join us and celebrate our super selection of seasonal succulent citrus! Below are links to recipes and a blog on pairing Blood Oranges and Cheese.

Cheese Donuts With Meyere Lemon Confit

Goat Cheese and Citrus Salad

Blood Orange and Cheese Pairing

 

Windy Hill's Brangus Beef

We are proud to have Windy Hills Farms Brangus Beef from Ty Wolosin in our freezer! This amazing beef is grass fed and grass finished on alfalfa. The meat qualities of Angus mixed with the robust adaptability of the Brahma makes a great combination for the crazy Texas climate. Although it is grass fed, it cooks up more like grain finished beef. They only harvest one steer at a time, so supplies will be limited. We will have some stew meat later in the week and we have ground now. Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.

We have some Applegate Farms breaded Chicken Tenders, also in Gluten Free, on special.

Look for some more options in the Dewberry Hills Chickens. We now have hearts and livers and feet and we will have parts available as well.

With the new year keep your eyes out for some exciting new products like Bison Sausage from Pederson's.

 

Gold Label

New Year, New Look – Same Great Product in Bulk Teas!

If you've shopped bulk teas in the last few days of 2011 you may have noticed NEW gold labels on all of our wonderful organic and fair trade teas! Have no fear! These are still all of your same favorites at all the same prices, but like our friends at Frontier Co-op (our biggest supplier of bulk teas), we wanted to highlight the wonderful Organic Fair Trade tea selection that we offer! The new labels also include brewing instructions and additional information for each tea variety – so that you can brew the perfect cup, every time!

The days might be getting longer but the coldest nights of the year may well still be ahead of us. Stay warm this new year with your favorite Organic Fair Trade Teas – green, black, and herbal varieties – from Frontier co-op, in the bulk herbs section of YOUR co-op!

 

Save Money!

With Owner Appreciation Days starting on the 14th of this month I just want to take the time to remind you to place your bulk pre-orders. Orders can be placed over the phone or in person with a bulk clerk and we will make sure it arrives during Owner Appreciation Week so that you can use your 15% off discount. And remember, with pre-orders you save an additional 5%!

Also over in the Bulk Department we will be having daily specials for owners over the course of Owner Appreciation Days, a little bigger discount just to say thank you.  Check back next week when I will have that list posted for you.

 

Beer & Wine

Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA is here! Ruthless IPA is brewed with this rustic grain for refined flavors - combining the peppery spice of rye and the bright citrusy flavors of whole-cone hops. I can't wait to try one!

Black Beret Grenache Syrah now $9.99 regularly $10.99! A deep, dark blood red wine with a light-medium bodied Nose. Easy berries and heavy spices give way to oak, deep cherry and blackberries.

 

New at Wheatsville!

We've devoted this week's crop of new products to the health and happiness of some of our best friends, our pets. Here's to giving them the best jump possible on the New Year. You can find all of these items in aisle 4, in our pet section.  Click here to see our new products!

 

Co+op Deals

With chilly weather rolling in and out of Austin, it's the perfect time to simplify lunch with a delicious can of Muir Glen Organic Soup. These are now on sale for $1.99 reg. $2.99.

Click here for more Co+op Deals valid Wednesday, January 4, 2012 – Tuesday, January 17th, 2012. —Brooks Wood, Co+op Deals Coordinator

 

Owner Deals

Have you tried the delicious local chips Beanitos, which are made from good and simple non-GMO ingredients? They are available in four terrific flavors which include Black Bean with Sea Salt, Pinto Bean with Flax, Chipotle BBQ Black Bean and Cheddar Cheese Bean chips.

Click here for more Owner Deals valid Wednesday, January 4, 2012 – Tuesday, January 17th, 2012. —Brooks Wood, Co+op Deals Coordinator

 

Patronage Rebates

In the fall of 2011, we began distributing Patronage Rebates from the Fiscal Year Ending in May 2011.  Since then, we have distributed 88% of the rebate dollars issued, which is about $41,090!  The Wheatsville Staff have made it a goal to distribute at least 92% of the rebate dollars by the time distribution ends on February 15, 2012 so we still have some work to do.

There are a few things you can do to help us reach our goal. If you are not sure you have a rebate, feel free to contact our Ownership Coordinator or speak to a Hospitality Clerk at the front of the store. Also, if you have friends and family that are co-op owners, ask them if they have checked to see that they have a Patronage Rebate. Lastly, if you are currently out of town or unable to make it to Wheatsville by the time distribution comes to a close, please contact our Ownership Coordinator to make alternate arrangements for pick-up or to donate your rebate to the current Community Action group.  Patronage Rebates must be picked up and redeemed by February 15, 2012.

We are very excited to have received the opportunity to share our profits and hope that each and every one of our eligible owners redeems their rebate.  If you have any questions about your rebate, please contact our Ownership Coordinator at membership@wheatsville.coop.

 

People's Community Clinic

With the New Year begins our new Community Action schedule! For the month of January, People's Community Clinic will receive 1% of our Wednesday sales as well as additional donations that shoppers make at the cash register. You can even donate your reusable bag credits!

People's Community Clinic has been serving the Austin and Central Texas community for over 40 years and is one of the oldest continually-running independent clinics for primary care in America.  Their mission is to improve the health of medically underserved and uninsured Central Texans by providing high quality, affordable healthcare.

In addition to raising cash donations, we are hosting a Children's Book Drive throughout the month of January. Feel free to deposit gently used children's books in the drop-boxes by our exit doors. They will then be made available to the children in the clinic's waiting room.

Community Action is a great way to expand democratic involvement and owner participation in our co-op and we thank everyone who voted in the Wheatsville Election for these wonderful organizations.  We look forward to working with our new Community Action groups and appreciate your generosity and support!

 

I hope you have a most excellent week!

Dan Gillotte

Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy

 

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